The Men’s Varsity Water Polo team made waves with an incredible trio of home games last week. A packed house saw the Dons dominate on Tuesday and Thursday. On Friday, the exhausted boys battled hard, but gave up their lone loss of the week.
On Tuesday, Sept 10, the Dons clashed with the Encinal High School Jets, who they’d previously splashed over Labor Day weekend with a 17-9 victory. This rematch started like a wobbly boat, with the Jets leading 3-1. But wait! The Dons shook off their sleepy vibes and soared ahead to a 14-6 halftime lead. Sophomore goalie Fisher Bradford-Urban was a wall, intercepting 13 attempts on goal, including two jaw-dropping blocks. Junior superstar Thomas Parrott was the MVP, scoring 5 goals and racking up stats in shots, assists, and steals! Senior Justin Rosenblat splashed in 3 goals; while seniors Sam Whipple and Nico Roig, sophomores Will Miller and Isaac Topp, and frosh Peter Endemann all added two goals each to the feast. Rounding it out were junior Mason Schlehr and frosh Alex Lavoie with one goal each. The Dons swam to victory, finishing the game with a triumphant 20-12!
On Thursday, September 12, the Dons battled the Pinole Valley High School Spartans. Will Miller led the Don attack, netting 5 goals and snagging 6 steals, while Mason Schlehr added 3 goals and 3 steals. A phalanx of Justin Rosenblat, Isaac Topp, Alex Lavoie, and Peter Endemann each contributed 2 goals, while Sam Whipple and frosh Owen Andre contributed 1 goal apiece. But the highlight? A lightning-fast steal and pass from freshman Adrian Anderson to Isaac Topp for a picture-perfect skip shot! Fisher defended Don territory with an incredible 11 saves, ensuring a 19-2 Don victory!
Exhausted from all that winning, the Dons slinked back to the pool the following day, Friday, September 13, to spar with the California High Grizzlies. Mason Schlehr fought his way through the water to land 2 of 5 shots, Thomas Parrott did the same with 2 of 3 shots, followed by Nico Roig who scored one goal. Isaac Topp and Will Miller clawed desperately, with 6 and 4 shots respectively- none of which could make it through the impenetrable bear guarding the Cal goal. The Dons left licking their wounds after a 5-17 loss.
